Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

व्रतं पुराणश्रवणं स्मृत्युक्ताध्व निषेवणम् । प्रतिक्षणे प्रतिदिनं विश्वेश पदचिंतनम्

Transliteration

vrataṃ purāṇaśravaṇaṃ smṛtyuktādhva niṣevaṇam | pratikṣaṇe pratidinaṃ viśveśa padaciṃtanam

Translation

守持誓戒，聆听《普拉那》，遵循《忆念书》（Smṛti）所示之道，并于每一刹那、每日恒常观想毗湿韦湿（Viśveśa）的圣足——此即（在迦尸的）生活之道。

Word by Word

• vratam: vow; observance
• vratam: Karma (Object/Practice)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समुच्चित-विषयः

• purāṇa-śravaṇam: hearing the Purāṇas
• purāṇa-śravaṇam: Karma (Object/Practice)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + śravaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पुराणस्य श्रवणम्)

• smṛti-ukta-adhva-niṣevaṇam: following the path prescribed in Smṛti
• smṛti-ukta-adhva-niṣevaṇam: Karma (Object/Practice)
• Type: Noun
• Root: smṛti (प्रातिपदिक) + ukta (कृदन्त; √vac ‘वच्’ क्त) + adhvan (प्रातिपदिक) + niṣevaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (स्मृत्युक्तः अध्वा/मार्गः तस्य निषेवणम् = following the path taught in Smṛti)

• prati-kṣaṇe: at every moment
• prati-kṣaṇe: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (अव्यय) + kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; सप्तमी-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘at every moment’

• prati-dinam: every day
• prati-dinam: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (अव्यय) + dina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; द्वितीया-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययवत् (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘every day’

• viśveśa: of Viśveśa (Lord of the universe)
• viśveśa: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (सम्बन्धे) — ‘of Viśveśa’; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (विश्वस्य ईशः)

• pada-ciṃtanam: contemplation of Viśveśa’s feet
• pada-ciṃtanam: Karma (Object/Practice)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक) + ciṃtana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पदस्य चिन्तनम्); ‘viśveśa’ इत्यस्य सम्बन्धेन — ‘Viśveśa’s feet/words’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśvara-pāda-smṛti in Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a Kāśī maṭha or temple courtyard, a paurāṇika recites while listeners sit; nearby a devotee observes a vrata with simple food, and in the background Viśveśvara’s shrine is approached with folded hands, indicating constant pāda-cintana.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Viśveśa (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual life is sustained by both dharma (Smṛti-guided conduct) and devotion (constant remembrance of Viśveśa).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied setting, with Viśveśa as the presiding deity whose feet are to be remembered continually.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vrata observance, Purāṇa listening, Smṛti-based conduct, and continuous contemplation of Viśveśa’s feet.